US2151407A - Beverage making apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 21, 1939.

F. LOBL 2,151,407

BEVERAGE MAKING APPARATUS Filed April 16, 1936 l'nvenror'.

Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES 3 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus for making beverages, such as coffee, tea, especially in the home, by a process in which hot water is forced from a lower receptacle into an elevated recep- 5 tacle containing the beverage base, as coffee grounds, by the vapor pressure of the water, and

the extract liquor subsequently flows into the lower receptacle by gravity and the partial vac uum resulting from the cooling of the vapor in the lower receptacle.

The usual apparatus for making cofiee by the above process is tall and thereby top-heavy, and the upper receptacle has to be removed from the lower receptacle before the beverage can be 15 poured out of the latter.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a. beverage making apparatus which is relatively short and thereby stable and not liable to be upset and whereinthe upper receptacle is 29 located, at least mainly, within the lower receptacle.

A further objectis the provision of an improved beverage making apparatus wherein the upper receptacle need not be removed to enable 25 the liquid in the lower receptacle to be poured out.

A yet further object is the provision of a beverage making apparatus wherein the lower receptacle has a pouring spout that can be closed 30 and opened by changing the position of the upper receptacle in the lower receptacle, specifically, by rotating the upper receptacle upon the lower receptacle.

An additional object is the provision of a bev- 35 erage making apparatus wherein the upper receptacle is mainly within the lower receptacle and both have cooperating annular seats by which the lower. receptacle is normally sealed to permit 'the building up of vapor pressure when the water therein is heated, the seats having cooperating pouring spout parts which can be brought into register by rotating the upper receptacle upon its seat on the lower receptacle, thereby to open the spout to permit the pouring out of the liquid contents of the lower receptacle.

A further object is the provision of a beverage making apparatus as above described, the upper receptacle having a removable cover which is pressed upon its receptacle by the automatic action oi! a movable handle of the apparatus when the handle is grasped to tilt the apparatus.

A yet further object is generally to improve upon beverage making apparatus.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a beverage 55v making apparatus embodying the present invensired configuration.

PATENT OFFICE tion in the normal position of the parts for operation.

. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but with the upper receptacle rotated to bring the pouring spout elements of the upper and lower receptacles into register to permit pouring out the contents of the lower receptacle.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1 with the top cover partly broken away to expose the strainer.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the upper receptacle.

The beverage making apparatus of. the present invention includes the lower. receptacle l0 and the upper receptacleJi. Both receptacles are composed preferably of glass. A heat resistant glass, such as pyrex glass, is quite suitable. The lower receptacle has'a broad flat bottom wall It which supports the entire apparatus. Said bottom wall is adapted to rest upon or over a suitable source of heat to enable the water in the receptacle to be heated sufficiently to carry out the process. The side wall [6 can be or any de- The top part of the lower receptacle is provided with a short cylindrical neck formed by the cylindrical side wall H3. The cross section of the interior of the neck is relatively large and is here shown as having approximately thediameter of the bottom wall ll. The receptacle above the neck is provided with an outwardly flaring or conical wall 20 which forms a substantially vapor tight seat for the upper receptacle l2.

A portion of the conical wall, above its junction with the neck wall. is shaped into a pouring spout 22. The conical wall 20, however, has a seat part 24 which is between the spout and the neck, so that the upper receptacle can stop oflf communication between the interior of the lower receptacle and the spout.

The upper receptacle I2 is located almost entirely within the lower receptacle and depends into the top thereof. Said upper receptacle has an open top formedby a short cylindrical wall 26 the diameter of which is approximately the diameter of the top opening of the outer receptacle. Below the wall 26 there is provided a conical wall 28 which slopes inwardly and conforms to the slope of the conical wall 20 of the lower receptacle and seats in a substantially vapor tight manner thereupon. The upper receptacle thus provides a seal for the lower receptacle. It desirable, the contacting surfaces or the conical walls 2. and 2| can be ground to enreceptacles.

The use of a glass to glass seal is preferable to a gasket, the sanitary condition at which can be' depends a tube which is open at its upper end to the interior of the upper receptacle and at its lower end to the interior of the lower receptacle. The bottom end of the tube is terminated close above the bottom wall ll of the lower receptacle.

A suitably perforated strainer or filter-36 is seated on and spaced above the bottom wall 32 of the upper receptacle and over the top opening of the tube and is adapted to support a mass of a beverage base, as coffee grounds, tea leaves, etc.

The conical sea-t wall 28 of the upper receptacle is provided with an indented part 38 which is located entirely within the outer margin of the seat wall 28 and'which can be brought into register with the spout 22 by rotating the upper receptacle on its seat from the position of Fig. l to the po- 'sition of Fig. 2, thereby to unseal the spout and allow the liquid in the lower receptacle to be poured out through the spout. When the indented part 38 is out of register with the spout the lower receptacle is substantially sealed against escape of vapor.

The open top of the upper receptacle is provided with a removable cover 40, also preferably of glass, having an annular shoulder 42 which fits inside the neck 26 and an annular flange 46 which seats upon the top of said neck. The shoulder is provided with a notch 48 in which a lugili of the upper receptacle is located, thereby to secure the cover and receptacle together for conjoint rotation. The cover 'is provided with a handle 52 preferably in the form of a horizontal bar directed toward the indented or spout part 38 of the upper receptacle when the cover is thereon, whereby the amount and direction of rotation of the upperreceptacle to open and close the spout may be readily determined.

The apparatus is provided with a metal band 54 which is clamped about the neck Ii of the lower receptacle .and carries a' handle 56 pivoted thereto. Said handle has an upper cover engaging part 58 which is located above the cover Ill and is swung automatically downwardly into engagement with the cover when the handle is raised to tilt the apparatus, thereby to hold the cover on the upper receptacle when the apparatus is tilted.

In use the lower receptacle will be filled with water to some suitable level a-a that is below the strainer 36. The'water is heated and when the water is about at'or close to the boiling point sufflcient vapor is generated, and the air above the water also becomes heated, to create a pressure in the vapor space above the water. This space sure a suitable tight engagement of the two is sealed by the upper receptacle against escape of the pressure vapor and hence the pressure forces the heated water upwardly through the tube .into the upper receptacle-and into con! tact with the beverage base, as cofiee grounds, on and above the strainer. The heat,is then removed from the lower receptacle and the vapor therein condenses, and may create a partial vacuum, thereby drawing back down into the lower receptacle the liquid in the upper receptacle. The cover 40 of the upper receptacle is loose fitting and does not make an air tight seal therewith. The beverage can then be poured out of the lower receptacle by rotating the upper receptacle to open the pouring spout.

The liquid capacity of the upper, receptacle below its seat 28 approximates that of the lower receptacle below the upper receptacle.

I claim:

1. Beverage making apparatus comprising a lower receptacle, an upper open top receptacle located mainly within said lower receptacle, a tube opening into the bottom part of said upper receptacle and terminated close above 'the bottom of said lower receptacle, a removable cover for the open top of said upper receptacle, and a handle for said apparatus having a pivotal connection with said lower receptacle and a part automatically movable upon said cover by the pivoting of said handle, whereby to hold said cover upon said upper receptacle upon the tilting of the apparatus by said handle.

2. Beverage making apparatus of the pressurevacuum type comprising a lower glass receptacle having a conical open top and an annular seat adjacent said top, an upper glass receptacle removably located practically entirely within said lower receptacle, above the bottom and in the open top thereof, said upper receptaclehaving an open top and a-conical annular seat adjacent its top which is seated upon the seat of and seals said lower receptacle, said lower receptacle being free from all openings except said top opening, said upper receptacle having a tube projected down-- :wardly from the bottom thereof and terminated close above the bottom of said lower receptacle, a strainer in said upper receptacle over the upper end of said tube, the arrangement being such that vapor pressure difierences in said lower receptacle cause the liquid therein to pass through said tube into and out of said upper receptacle, and a pouring spout for the liquid in said lower receptacle having cooperating partscarried by both receptacles, said upper. receptacle being angularly shiftable in opposite directions upon its seat on said lower receptacle to control registration of said spout parts, whereby to open and close said spout.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the upper receptacle has an open top, and a removable cover is provided therefor having an interlocking connection with the upper receptacle, and means FREDERICK LOBL.

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